Why They Voted

On Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock sharp, more than 120,000 Iowa Republicans took their seats at caucus sites across the state to cast the first meaningful votes of the 2012 presidential race. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney edged former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum by a mere eight votes—the closest caucus in the state's history, and one whose result was decided at the last minute, by voters persuading other voters, through on-stage endorsement speeches and friendly conversations. It was hardly a perfect snapshot of the state's electorate—the inflexible caucus schedule meant voters had to choose between casting their votes and attending their son's wrestling meet or showing up on time for the night shift. But it didn't stop more than 300 voters from showing up at an evangelical church in the Des Moines suburb of Johnston, polling site for Polk County's 481st precinct. Five of them explain why they voted.

Martha Fullerton, retired teacher: "I voted for Mitt Romney because I believe he's the best qualified to be president. He's a businessman, he knows how to create jobs, he knows what the government can do to help, and what the government also sometimes does to hinder. He has political experience with the government in Massachusetts. He knows how to deal with a legislature that's not necessarily a Republican legislature. He's a leader, and he can get things accomplished." She doesn't remember who she voted for in 2008, but thinks it was probably Romney.